Inter secured a 2-0 victory over Parma to seal a 21st Serie A crown, and Lautaro Martinez explained how a change on the bench helped end last season’s frustration, praising Cristian Chivu’s impact on a group that had gone through a trophyless campaign.
Martinez felt Inter needed a reset after losing "all the competitions" during the previous year, including the Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, and described how Chivu’s arrival altered the mood within a squad that had already spent four seasons working under Simone Inzaghi.
The striker highlighted Chivu’s work with the dressing room, stressing the importance of energy and shared responsibility across the season. "The coach did so well bringing fresh energy, enthusiasm, so after
four great years with Simone [Inzaghi], perhaps we needed a change of scenery after that Champions League final [a 5-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain]," Martinez told DAZN Italia. "Chivu made sure everyone felt involved and could even train with a smile. That really helped. "
Chivu’s first Serie A campaign with Inter ends with a Scudetto, placing the coach in select company. Chivu becomes the fifth person to win the league in a debut season on Inter’s bench, and the first to do it since Jose Mourinho guided the club to the title in the 2008-09 campaign.
Inter wrapped up the Scudetto with three rounds still to play, marking the sixth time the club have been crowned champions with at least three matchdays remaining. The team reached 82 points, also the 12th occasion in club history that Inter collected at least 80 points in the three-points-per-win format.
Across all competitions in 2025-26, including the Club World Cup, Inter scored 115 goals, which is a club record in the era of the single-round Serie A structure introduced in 1929-30. Of those, 82 arrived in Serie A, and Inter have not scored more at this stage after 35 league fixtures at any time in the last 75 years.
The Parma win that clinched the title featured goals from Marcus Thuram and Henrikh Mkhitaryan against Chivu’s former club. That result confirmed a domestic recovery only months after Inter’s Club World Cup exit, which had exposed internal tension when Martinez criticised commitment levels within the dressing room.
pic.twitter.com/uQSCTuosILLega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) May 3, 2026
Inter Scudetto campaign follows European consistency
Martinez underlined that this title sits within a longer spell of strong results in Italy and in Europe. "We have for many years been doing very well in Italy and Europe, reaching two Champions League finals in three years," Martinez added. "We must continue along this path, because the most important thing after winning is to keep trying to do better. "
Maintaining the same group focus was another key theme for the captain across the 2025-26 schedule. "In such a balanced league as this, we managed to keep focused as a group, and this is the most wonderful thing that I am impressed by, the unity of this team. "
Inter Scudetto charge followed summer tension
The forward had been outspoken following the Club World Cup defeat, when Martinez questioned whether every player truly wanted to remain at Inter, with Hakan Calhanoglu specifically mentioned at that time. Those comments punctured the dressing-room atmosphere in July but also underlined the standards the captain expected from team-mates.
Martinez later reflected on that episode, insisting it came from an honest reaction. "What I said at that moment was what I felt and had been holding inside me," he said. "I didn’t plan it, I just saw some things I didn’t like, and I say what I think. "
From there, Martinez believes the squad rebuilt unity as preparations moved into the new season. "We feel so happy now. It was not easy to start again after a season where we lost all the competitions; we were in right at the end, but I am very happy with this achievement. "
The captain stressed how external expectations were modest after the previous campaign’s failures, yet the squad still targeted the Scudetto from the start. "It was a very important objective for us, perhaps many didn’t see us being favourites considering what happened last term, but we worked so hard on and off the field. "
Inter’s latest Scudetto therefore combines statistical dominance, early title confirmation and a shift in technical leadership, with Chivu’s first season bringing renewed intensity, while Martinez’s strong stance in July gives context to a campaign that ends with a league trophy and clear belief in the current project.
